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Outdoors - Deer populations blunted by disease

Crossbow cocked and arrow loaded, Jerry Simmons waits for a deer to show. He said there weren't as many deer on his hunting club land in Pender County last fall, so the members intentionally harvested fewer deer. Photo by Mike Marsh

Published: Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 6:15 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 6:15 p.m.

Many hunters reported seeing fewer deer during the 2012-13 hunting season. While there are always some hunters who complain, the problem is usually a localized situation, such as a heavy mast crop or change in crop rotation that keeps deer away from hunters' favorite stands. However, this season, the phenomenon was widespread, and data recently compiled and released by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission shows that the hunters were correct.

State deer biologist Evin Stanford said the harvest decline that occurred across most of the state resulted from an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, which has become widespread throughout the Southeast and Midwest.

The statewide deer harvest of 167,249 is the lowest since 2006-07, but still the sixth-highest since record-keeping began in 1976. The record harvest of 176,297 took place in 2008-09.

“Our deer harvest is hanging right around 170,000 animals,” Stanford said. “With liberalized deer hunting seasons and regulations, we experienced a leveling off of the deer population from about 1993 through 2001, when the population was around 1.1 million. Then it jumped up and stabilized around 2003 through 2005 to 1.35 million, where it stands today.”

The previous hunting season, coastal districts experienced a disease outbreak, and it became more prevalent in the mountains and piedmont.

The coastal harvest declined 8.0 percent in District 1, 1.1 percent in District 2 7.3 percent in District 4. Most local hunters head for District 2, which includes New Hanover, Pender, Duplin, Onslow, Lenoir, Greene, Pitt, Pamlico, Craven, Jones and Carteret counties, or District 4, which includes Bladen, Columbus, Brunswick, Robeson, Scotland, Hoke, Harnett, Cumberland and Sampson counties. Coastal counties that suffered the highest harvest declines were Pender (8 percent) and Duplin (5 percent).

The mountain and piedmont counties fared even worse. The most severe harvest decline of 18.6 percent occurred in mountain District 7.

Two things play a role in deer harvest numbers with there is an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease. First is the actual disease mortality. Second is hunter preference. Hunters who notice declines in the numbers of deer they see, or who find large numbers of dead deer, may show restraint and take fewer deer during the hunting season. Stanford said the recent outbreak had the highest mortality the state has ever experienced.

“The two diseases associated with hemorrhagic disease, or HD, are blue tongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease,” Stanford said. “This outbreak has been confirmed as true epizootic hemorrhagic disease or EHD, serotype 2, and is particularly lethal to deer.”

People who find deer that may have died from hemorrhagic disease over the summer should report them to the Commission. While the disease usually strikes in July, this strain was occurring by June last year.

A midge that also bites humans spreads hemorrhagic disease. However, humans do not get the disease from the bite or eating the meat of infected deer. Hot, dry summer weather followed by periods of heavy rain creates ideal conditions for the midge eggs to hatch from the exposed soil along watercourse banks. Once the weather returns to normal, the disease ebbs and infected deer that do not die acquire immunity so the deer population always bounces back.

For more outdoors news, to contact Mike Marsh or buy his books, go to mikemarshoutdoors.com.

On the decline

A prolonged outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease caused deer harvest numbers to plummet for the 2012-13 season to the lowest total in six years. A look how different parts of the state were affected by the disease from the 2011-12 to 2012-13 seasons:

<p>Many hunters reported seeing fewer deer during the 2012-13 hunting season. While there are always some hunters who complain, the problem is usually a localized situation, such as a heavy mast crop or change in crop rotation that keeps deer away from hunters' favorite stands. However, this season, the phenomenon was widespread, and data recently compiled and released by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission shows that the hunters were correct.</p><p>State deer biologist Evin Stanford said the harvest decline that occurred across most of the state resulted from an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, which has become widespread throughout the Southeast and Midwest.</p><p>The statewide deer harvest of 167,249 is the lowest since 2006-07, but still the sixth-highest since record-keeping began in 1976. The record harvest of 176,297 took place in 2008-09.</p><p>“Our deer harvest is hanging right around 170,000 animals,” Stanford said. “With liberalized deer hunting seasons and regulations, we experienced a leveling off of the deer population from about 1993 through 2001, when the population was around 1.1 million. Then it jumped up and stabilized around 2003 through 2005 to 1.35 million, where it stands today.”</p><p>The previous hunting season, coastal districts experienced a disease outbreak, and it became more prevalent in the mountains and piedmont. </p><p>The coastal harvest declined 8.0 percent in District 1, 1.1 percent in District 2 7.3 percent in District 4. Most local hunters head for District 2, which includes New Hanover, Pender, Duplin, Onslow, Lenoir, Greene, Pitt, Pamlico, Craven, Jones and Carteret counties, or District 4, which includes Bladen, Columbus, Brunswick, Robeson, Scotland, Hoke, Harnett, Cumberland and Sampson counties. Coastal counties that suffered the highest harvest declines were Pender (8 percent) and Duplin (5 percent).</p><p>The mountain and piedmont counties fared even worse. The most severe harvest decline of 18.6 percent occurred in mountain District 7.</p><p>Two things play a role in deer harvest numbers with there is an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease. First is the actual disease mortality. Second is hunter preference. Hunters who notice declines in the numbers of deer they see, or who find large numbers of dead deer, may show restraint and take fewer deer during the hunting season. Stanford said the recent outbreak had the highest mortality the state has ever experienced.</p><p>“The two diseases associated with hemorrhagic disease, or HD, are blue tongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease,” Stanford said. “This outbreak has been confirmed as true epizootic hemorrhagic disease or EHD, serotype 2, and is particularly lethal to deer.”</p><p>People who find deer that may have died from hemorrhagic disease over the summer should report them to the Commission. While the disease usually strikes in July, this strain was occurring by June last year.</p><p>A midge that also bites humans spreads hemorrhagic disease. However, humans do not get the disease from the bite or eating the meat of infected deer. Hot, dry summer weather followed by periods of heavy rain creates ideal conditions for the midge eggs to hatch from the exposed soil along watercourse banks. Once the weather returns to normal, the disease ebbs and infected deer that do not die acquire immunity so the deer population always bounces back.</p><p><i></p><p>For more outdoors news, to contact <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic89"><b>Mike Marsh</b></a> or buy his books, go to mikemarshoutdoors.com.</i></p><h3>On the decline</h3>
<p>A prolonged outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease caused deer harvest numbers to plummet for the 2012-13 season to the lowest total in six years. A look how different parts of the state were affected by the disease from the 2011-12 to 2012-13 seasons:</p><p><style type="text/css"></p><p> table.tableizer-table {</p><p> border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: <?php echo $tableFont ?>;</p><p> font-size: 12px;</p><p>} </p><p>.tableizer-table td {</p><p> padding: 4px;</p><p> margin: 3px;</p><p> border: 1px solid #ccc;</p><p>}</p><p>.tableizer-table th {</p><p> background-color: #104E8B; </p><p> color: #FFF;</p><p> font-weight: bold;</p><p>}</p><p></style><table class="tableizer-table"></p><p><tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th>District</th><th>Area of State</th><th>% Change</th></tr></p><p> <tr><td>1</td><td>NE Coast</td><td>-8.0</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>2</td><td>SE Coast</td><td>-1.1</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>3</td><td>Raleigh, Wilson</td><td>1.8</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>4</td><td>South Central</td><td>-7.3</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>5</td><td>Piedmont</td><td>-2.7</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>6</td><td>East Charlotte</td><td>6.3</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>7</td><td>Northwest</td><td>-18.6</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>8</td><td>Central West</td><td>-5.7</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>9</td><td>Far West</td><td>16.9</td></tr></p><p> <tr><td>State</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td>-3.6</td></tr></p><p></table></p>